The Institute of Applied Geophysics in Moscow announced the detection of a powerful solar flare of class X2.1 this morning, Monday, in the region of sunspot 4298 (S14W51). This flare lasted for 15 minutes. Later in the evening of the same day, two other flares were detected, but of the medium class M2.5 and M2.1.
The Solar Astronomy Laboratory of the Russian Academy of Sciences indicated that these short solar flares do not usually cause plasma to reach the Earth or its magnetosphere, although some solar material may leak into interplanetary space. The geomagnetic effectiveness of this event was estimated to be very low.
Solar flares are divided into five classes according to the intensity of the emitted X-rays, which are: A, B, C, M, and X. The strength of the flare increases tenfold with each higher class. These flares may cause magnetic storms that sometimes affect power, communication, and navigation systems, in addition to their potential impact on the migration routes of birds and animals.
